Improvement in lasting- boots and shoes



ital 55mm @met the Letters Patent No. 89,007, dated April 20, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN LASTING- BOOTS AND SHOES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patentl and making part of theBam.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAc N. BEALs, of North Bridgewater, in the countyof Plymouth, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inLasting Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare that the following,taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part ofthis speciiatiou, is a description'of my-invention, suiiicient to enablethose skilled in the art to practise it.

In that part of the manufacture of boots and shoes which consists in1a.sting, that is to say, in preparing the vamp and inner sole forapplication ofthe cuter sole,it is customaryto tack the innner sole upona last, over which last the upper or vamp is drawn, and the edges of thevamp are then drawn over the edge of the inner sole, and tacked in placewith lastingtacks, thus forming up the shoe, so that upon placing theouter sole in position, it may be pegged by a series of pegs driventhrough the three-lapped edges of the inner sole, vamp, and outer sole.

Now, as the edge ofthe vamp has to be stretched considerably, andstrained to get it into position along the hollow of the shank, theleather is apt to be torn by the lasting-pincers, and the stock ismarred or marked by them.

Moreover, the presence of one jaw of the pincers between the vamp andthe inner sole, prevents the vamp from lying close down to the sole, asit is desirable that it should do, in order toA make the boot or shoesmooth in the shank.

My invention has reference to the means of drawing the edge of the vamp'down into the shank of the last, or over the inner sole at the shank, soas to stretch the edge of the vamp into'place, 'without liability voftearing or marring the stock, and so as to insure smoothness of the bootat the shank; and

The invention consists in combining with the flexible band, or strapunder which the last is slipped, in the process of lasting, a flexibletongue, which is at tached, at one end, to the band, while its-other endis slipped under the edge ofthe vamp at the shank, one end of the bandbeing attached to a-treadle, and the other end to a stout spring, sothat pressure upon the treadle will first press down the edge of thevamp against the end of the flexible tongue-piece, the edge thus clampedbetween the strap and the tongue heilig then drawn down by the descentof the side of the strap to which the treadle is attached, the tonguebeing gradually drawn out from under the vamp, by the movement of thestrap, but not until after the edge of the vamp has been well stretchedover into the shank of the last.

The drawing represents aknee, or last-supporting block, showing alasting-strap embodying my improvement.

a denotes the block, mounted upon a suitable stand, or bench, andconstructed in the usual manner, or so as to support the last, uponwhich is the vamp to be lasted.

b denotes the lasting-strap, passing over the block a., and attached, atone end, to a suitable lever, or treadle, c, and at its other Aend tothe upper end of spring d, whose lower end 'is fastened to a stationarypin.

On the inner side of the strap is fastened one end of the tongue-piecee, the upper end being free, or loose, and extending over or beyond theto'p'of the block c. y

This piece is made of somewhat rigid stock, so that it can readily bepushed between the edge of the vamp and the last; and it may be made ofmetal, or of other suitable material possessing lflexibility sufticienttoy allow it to bend over the edge of the block, and down to the surfaceof the last, and rigidity` suicient to enable it to be pushed under thevamp without curling.

The inner sole being tacked to the face of the last, and the vamp beingdrawn' over the last, the last is placed upon the block, and the strapthrown over it, as seen in the drawing, (the toe and heel ofthe vampbeing preferably rst lasted over the edge of the inner sole,) the strappassing over the last at the shank.

' The point, or upper end of the tongue is now pushed under the edge ofthe vamp, as seen in the drawing.

Downward pressure being now applied to the vlever c, the edge of thevamp will be pinched between and.

by the strap and tongue-piece, and as the strap is stretching, the edgewill'be drawn down in the shank of the last, until iinally the tongue isdrawn from under the vamp by the yield of the spring (l, the strap thenserving, however, by .its tightness, to retain the edge of the vamp inthe shank until it is tacked.

The stretchof the strap might be suicient, in itself,- to release thefinger from the vamp, or a strap might be made elastic, but I considerthe employment of the spring as preferable.

I claim, in combination with alasting-strap, ailexible tongue, operatingwith the strap, to draw the edge of the vamp over the shank of the boot,substantially as described.

I also claim, in combination with the strap and tongue, the spring d,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ISAAC N. BEALS. Witnesses:

ZENAs L. MARsToN, JOSEPH C. GooMBs.

